Note: This is part of a series of reflective posts that form part of a university course that I am taking. I hope that you will find something valuable in my reflections as well. ​

There is no question that literacy is key to upward socioeconomic mobility and escaping poverty. According to the UN, "education helps reduce inequalities and reach gender equality and is crucial to fostering tolerance and more peaceful societies." While the global literacy rate for people over 15 is 86%, the literacy rate in Sub-Saharan Africa remains below 60%, with some countries below 30%.1 It is in these countries where access to education is desperately needed.
Libraries play a key role in providing access to education, especially literacy. Public libraries, however, are few and far between in developing countries (the reasons for this are complex - if you want the deep dive, I highly recommend you check out the paper by Young et al. linked below) and have been often overlooked as partners by development organizations.2 As a result, most efforts to improve literacy rates in developing countries tend to be through development organizations acting as libraries rather than state-sponsored public libraries. While this matters philosophically (public libraries uphold the values of political, social and intellectual freedom, while development agencies may not), the end result for users is the same regardless of who is providing the service - access to books and technology. 

Here are 3 NGOs working to increase literacy rates in creative ways:

Nal'ibali - based in South Africa, Nal'ibali focuses not just on reading for enjoyment, but on the power of language and cultural relevance. They acknowledge the importance of reading in the mother tongue and work to create a community of stories and storytellers across South Africa. This rich website includes storybooks, audiobooks and writing resources for all ages, not too mention the ability to access physical books, reading and writing clubs and more. Nal'ibali can be enjoyed on all major mobile networks in SA for free and without data (wow!) as well as on What'sApp, making it super accessible for just about anyone (95% of South Africans own a cell phone3).

Room to Read - Room to Read focuses on literacy and gender equality in low-income communities throughout Africa and Asia. They partner with community and government organizations to provide teacher training, quality reading materials in local languages, construction of classrooms and parent education programs. Their intent is to create sustainable literacy initiatives that will last long after Room to Read moves to a different community.

World Literacy Foundation - The WLF supports a number of different literacy initiatives across the globe, including the distribution of solar-powered tablets pre-loaded with books and educational games in Africa, an app in Australia that provides books in both English and local Indigenous languages, an Ambassador program for young adults and the provision of books to schools and community reading groups throughout Africa, South America and Asia.

1. Literacy Rate, 2015. Retrieved 07/29/2021 from www.ourworldindata.org/literacy.
​2. Young, J.C., Lynch, R., Boakye-Achampong, S., Jowaisas, C., Sam, J. (2021). Public libraries and development across Sub-Saharan Africa: Overcoming a problem of perception. Retrieved 07/28/2021 from https://www.degruyter.com/docwww.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/libri-2020-0096/htmlument/doi/10.1515/libri-2020-0096/html.
​3. McCrocklin, S. (2021). Mobile penetration in South Africa. Retrieved 07/29/2021 from https://www.geopoll.com/blog/mobile-penetration-south-africa/.

In September I will be moving to a brand-new school. As in, construction isn't even finished yet. As in, everything will be shiny, new and untouched. See also: glass everywhere, very open-concept and approximately zero storage. This, as far as the architects have decided, is the school of the future. 

It is gorgeous - light-filled, airy and welcoming. A far cry from the squat, cinder block rectangles I'm used to. Designed to facilitate collaboration, the classrooms are all connected with sliding walls and glass garage doors that open to common project spaces. We will be teaching in multi-grade learning communities with upwards of a hundred students in each community. Our teaching will be guided by the First Peoples Principles of Learning, the OECD 7+1 Framework and the Core Competencies of the BC curriculum. This, my friends, is what a 21st century school should be.

Or is it? Designed for a primarily digital learning environment, there is little storage space in the classrooms. Already, I am wondering what I will do with my beloved book collection, something that I have worked hard to build and feel is an invaluable tool in sparking and fostering a love of reading in my students (see here, from Pernille Ripp, about the value of classroom libraries). Where do teachers store the manipulatives that so many learners need to actually touch and feel as they move through their learning? How do we celebrate physical creations so that students who thrive working with their hands feel seen and valued?

These are just some of the questions that I'm sure will come up as we begin to welcome students into this beautiful new space. I trust that our staff will answer these questions as best we can, hopefully laughing as we learn. 

As I move into this new experience, I am wondering about the need for balance - between the digital and natural world, between collaboration and quiet reflection, between online connection and connection IRL. For the first time in a long time, the educational pendulum seems to be swinging in circles, veering from centering technology to centering land-based learning, emphasizing collaboration to recognizing the needs and value of the quieter kids. Perhaps this is representative of a larger societal struggle with these ideas, families wanting what's best for their kids but not really knowing what that is in this rapidly changing world. My hope is that I can learn enough to approach my own practice with intention and purpose, to be able to support students as they learn to "successfully wield the abundance at their fingertips" (from Why School: How Education must change when learning and information are every where by Will Richardson. Emphasis my own).

In the Town All Year Round (Rotraut Susanne Berner) - This book was a gift from friends a few years ago and still hasn't grown old. Following the lives and antics of a fun cast of characters through 4 seasons in a small town, this book is like a grown-up Where's Waldo? Each season is prefaced with a brief explanation of what some of the characters are up to this season; the rest is left up to you and your imagination! We often choose just one or two characters to look for and then spend the rest of the time discovering new aspects of each picture. Great for observation skills, this book would be a great addition to your classroom silent/buddy reading library or as a teacher-led small group activity focusing on observation and oral language skills.

Hands Off My Honey (Jane Chapman) - At first I thought this book was part of Karma Wilson's Bear series; the illustrations are very reminiscent of her books. This story, however, does not have the same rhythm as one of Wilson's; nonetheless, it is a very cute read with a surprising twist at the end. A great choice for teaching little ones about the joy of sharing, what it means to be a friend and appropriate play (Why does everyone think this is a fun game when Bear is being so scary?).

My Blue is Happy (Jessica Young) - This wonderful little book has so much potential in the classroom; I can't wait to take it for a spin! It explores the emotions we attach to colours, highlighting the fact that different colours "feel" different to each of us. A great book for exploring differences, making connections and creating writing based on the book. The only disappointment is that the book has the rhythm of a rhyming book but it doesn't actually rhyme!

Teach Like A PIRATE (David Burgess) - Despite it's very intriguing title, this book hasn't exactly wowed me. That being said, the underlying premise of increasing student engagement is of fundamental importance and one that I think gets harder and harder as our students' attention becomes more media focused. This book is worth the read if you are looking for ways to diversify or change up your presentation methods and would make a good school-wide book study if you have a few staff members who need some help moving beyond the old stand and deliver. Be forewarned, however, that while it is an easy read, the writing style is not as polished as some of the other options in the professional development category.

Happy reading this week!